The April CUaware Triad social took place on Thursday, April 18th at Foothills Brewing in downtown Winston Salem. 16 credit union employees representing the area's credit unions gathered to take a tour of the brewing operations at the hometown pub! Afterwards, attendees viewed the live streaming of Chuck Purvis, CEO of Coastal FCU, as he presented to the Triangle CUaware in Raleigh!

Our Raleigh Speaker Series event was hosted at Coastal Federal Credit Union's Creedmoor branch location. Over 45 guests listened to our keynote speaker, Chuck Purvis. Coastal FCU's CEO, Chuck shared his personal story, insights on leadership, and the future of the credit union industry.The event was recorded and hope that you enjoy the talk as much as we did!

The Triad chapter of CUaware distributed 62 backpacks filled with personal care items, first aid supplies and canned food to homeless men and women on the corner of North Point Blvd. and North Patterson Ave. in Winston-Salem. The event was part of CUaware’s community service project called Project Backpack. During the month of March, Members CU, Winston-Salem Federal CU, Piedmont Advantage CU, Summit CU, and State Employees CU collected backpacks and essential supplies for the homeless. Supplies were packed in the backpacks during CUaware’s monthly social in March, and 12 volunteers from CUaware handed out the backpacks while serving a meal to the homeless and hungry on April 7th. The meal was provided thanks to donations collected at Winston Salem Federal CU and by Pastor Sylvia Dawkins of God’s Mt. Calvary PHD Church. Dawkins coordinates the serving of freshly made food from local restaurants to the homeless on the first Sunday of every month in Winston-Salem. CUaware volunteers will continue to help serve the homeless on the corner of North Patterson Ave. and North Point Blvd. in Winston-Salem during the first Sunday of every month between 1 PM. and 3 PM. A special event will take place on May 11th to help women and children who are homeless. If you would like to donate gently used women’s clothes, children’s clothes, diapers, and canned food that will be distributed on May 11th please contact Carla Kimel at carlak@memcu.com.

If you are young CU professional with a video camera or iPhone, a creative flair, and a vision for engaging young credit union professionals, here's a chance for you to shine! The NC Credit Union League is providing an opportunity for a young professional in NC to attend the Future Leaders Forum during the League's Annual Meeting in Pinehurst. The deadline for submissions is May 1.Video Contest for Young Professionals

On March 20, CUaware had another first: a Young Professionals (YP) Lunch-and-Learn. This L-n-L featured David Brehmer, CEO of First Carolina Corporate Credit Union. He taught us all about reading financial statements; even printing out end-of-year financial statements for everyone who registered for the event. The 44 attendees enjoyed a catered lunch while learning more about their credit union's financial statements.

Thank you to those who attended the CUsocial at Applebee’s in Winston Salem on March 21. We all had a great time networking, eating and, most importantly, coming together for a great cause to give back to our community. The time and effort you contributed is appreciated by us all, especially the recipients of the backpacks. See the post below for some pictures from the event! Remember: If you wish to volunteer at the April 7 backpack distribution, please contact Carla Kimel at carlak@memcu.com.

We hope to see you all at our next event on April 18 (Location TBD). Your challenge? Bring a friend/co-worker and be a part of the growth of CUaware!